Publication Policy and Ethical Considerations

In spite of our best efforts to identify breaches of publication policy or ethical conduct, such as plagiarism or author conflict of interest, the referees who are more familiar with the field are more likely to recognise such problems and should alert the editors of any potential problems in this regard. In summary, you must communicate suspicion of policy or ethical problems directly to the editor, who will follow the guidelines recommended by COPE. For further information you can consult COPE Ethical Guidance for Peer Reviewers. Under no circumstances should you contact the author directly.